A variety of vending machines are known wherein a customer may purchase an article or articles upon depositing a preset amount of money. The money activates a dispenser in some fashion which results in the article being dispensed to the customer. Known vending machines dispense a variety of products including books of stamps, movie cassettes, computer programs, food and beverages, photographs of the customer and the like. While useful as far as they go, none of the vending machines known allow for a customer to custom print novelty business cards, change of address cards and the like wherein the information is input by the customer as part of the vending procedure.
A common means for dispensing flat articles from vending machines is to criss-cross them in a vertical stack. The release mechanism generally comprises two pairs of coupled release arms on which the articles are stacked and which either retract or drop down thereby releasing the article resting thereon. The mechanical mechanisms generally involve cams and cam followers, or circular cam wheels or bell cranks coupled using crank pins just to mention a few. A general drawback to using mechanical release mechanisms is their proclivity for jamming and/or requiring periodic maintenance.